Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented luly 3l, |900.

H. E. GIFFORD.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application led Dec. 19, 1899.?

(No Model.)

@mi www f @Hor/neig me upRms Prrzns co, womutno.. wAsnlNsTuu u c NrTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E; eirronn or ONSET, MASSACHUSETTS. c

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming-partcfI Letters Patent No. 654,968, dated July 31,1900.- Applicatlon iled December 19,1899. i Serial No. 740,876. (Nomodel.)

To all whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that LiHAnRY E. GIFFORD, a citizenof the United States,residing at Onset, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts,have invented` certain new and useful Improvements in` Gas-Producing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare `that the following is a full,'clear,Vand enactr description of the same, reference being Vhad to the annexeddrawings, making fa part of this specification, and tothe letters ofureference marked thereon.A f M f` The present invention has reference tothat classof gasproducing y'apparatus in which a generator and gasometerare used anda gasproducingmedium consisting of calcium car.

bid or'other like material from which is manufactured what isf knwn'asacetylene gas, and the object vof the invention is, to improve suchclass of machines'a'in'the several details of construction wherebythemanufacture of gas is rendered `less dangerous and its production'materially simplified.

The inventionnconsists `in a gas generatori o r apparatus constructedsubstantially as shown in `the drawings and hereinafter der-'AA scribedand claimed. i V- c Figure l of `jthedrawings is a4 perspective view ofa gas apparatus constructed in accordance with'lmy inventionj Fig. 2, asecl tionalelevation; Fig. 3,V a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 ofFig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar view taken on line l e of` Fig.42; Fig. 5, ade-V tail modied view-` of`the`plunger and the guide-rods with theirconnections. Fig. 6 is an enlarged 4detail 4vertical section of thevalve whichcontrls the pipe between ithe, generator'and'gasometer.` c `4In the accompanying drawings, A represents the generator of anypreferred construction, which yis provided at its top and side withmanholes a b, respectively, and closed by suitable screw-plugs c. Thisgenerator A contains a suitableioat B, having a reticulated receptacle dentirely within it to receive the calciumfcarbidor like material, whichrests on the grating or reticulated bottom of said receptacle, so thatit will be supported in normal position just above the water below.Connected to this float Br by karms e or other preferred means is a stemC', which en-V tends through the topl of the generator and .or changedas circumstancesrequiregwithout departing from the principle of theinvention. The generator A is supplied with water through anoveril'owftubef of any suitable form and construction and located at anydistance from the top of the generator, and said tube may be of anysuitable length desired and provided witha screw-cap g, said tubeserving as an indicator in ascertaining the amount of Water required insupplying the generator. rIfhe tube facts as an indicator inascertaining or'inlicating when the necessary amount of water issupplied to the generator. Inthe employment of the tube f only a certainheight of water can enter the generator, as when uup to a level with theopen end of the tube the water will ilow out `of the tube, thusindicating when the generator has its full supply. It is absolutelyessential that the tube f be closed after the genpressure of thegasabove from forcing the water out of the tube, and for this purposethe screw-cap gis employed.

At the bottom lof the generator is a suitable discharge-pipeh of anypreferred `form and. lconstructim, whereby the slaked carbid and watermay be removed when desired.

The reticulated receptacle d of the -iioat B is supplied with the carbidthrough the manholes hereinbefore described when rechargiin'g, and thegenerator A may be attached to the other parts of the apparatus by anysuitable and well-known means that will admit of the parts being easilyseparated for re To the upper or, open end of the gasometerand-*connected to erator is suppliedzwith waterto `prevent the IOO iwhen rising to its greatest limit.

the wall D is a suitable stop G, designed to limit` the rising of thedome above a certain point, the dome coming in contact therewith Thestop G also serves as a guide to the guide-rod z', the end of the rodentering a hole vin the stop, or, if desired, the guide-rod may beformed rigid upon the stop and its lower end enter aV hole in the top ofthe dome F and into the hollow end of the plunger-rod C,"the lower endof the rod or the base ot the hollow portion thereof being closed toprevent the escape of Fig. 2 of" the drawings.

with Ithe top of the'generator and extending.

up centrally-into the gasorneter, as shown in j Aisay short central pipesecured to the top of the generator and surrounding the stem.

Between the central pipes A and H is .located a suitable gate-Valve j,to be closed whenever the generator iste be charged, and thusprevent theescape of` gas.

When the carbid is tof be renewed, the water is drawn oft 'from thegenerator, which operation will lowerthe iioat B, and alsothe stem Cthereof is carried with it until the Y upper end is below the valve j,which will admit'offthe Valvebeing closed. The manhole ais `now openedyby removing the plug there.-

fromfand'sucjent water introduced into the i generator` tobring theoatnearly into place,

after which new carbid is supplied to the reticulated receptacle and themanhole closed and'the valveqopened `and any additional water neededbeing supplied through-the tube j at the side of the generator.

The pipe H,f`that connects the generator and gasometer, extends -intothe latter to apoint near the top thereof, said pipe being of suicientsize to carry the gas generated from the generator yto the gasometer inaddition to guiding the plunger-rod in its vertical movement- .i 1

The -gasometer is provided with a suitable air-outlet, which iscontrolled by a valve '10,.

which outlet maybe at the top of the gasomthe ,top of the gasometer whenVthe machine` eter, asfshown in Fig. l of the drawings, or aj suitablepipe Am' may connect with 4an air#l outlet at the bottom of thegasometer and also with 'the blow-oi pipevmleadin g out of doors,asshown in Fig. -2 of the drawings, said pipe having a suitable -valve oand theblow-'ol pipe connecting withthe water-.trap .L This latterconstruction enables the gas rising .to

is first charged and the gasometerjull of air to forcethis airl down andout fromthe lower part of the gasomcter through the pipe m and pipe fn,thereby'carrying the mixture of Odensive airand gas out of doors..The'gas after being generated passes to the consumer through asupply-pipe I, which extends into the gasometer and communicatestherewith at or near the top thereof and extends down throughthe'bottonl of the gasometer, at which point it connects with aT-coupling and short pipe l, which latter `extends down into awa-"tertrap .T `of any. preferred construction. Throughthis trap the gaswill escape should L- he gas lgenerate in a greater volume than thecapacity of thegsometer andthat needed for consumption.

The supply-piped ,maycommun'icate with anysutbl@ System ofhouse--ppesfound necessary to convey the gids tothe consumer as circumstances,mayreg'uire. A

When gas is generated, the dome F rises .and the plunger-rod C iscarried withit, and as gas is used the dome falls, and when nearly downthe end of theplunger-rod strikesjthe end of the stem C' of the float B,and .thus pushes the oat down, so that the waterwill come in contactwith the carbid in the reticuL lated receptacle d. A s-the gas-isgenerated by the contact of the carbid with. the water the dome Vwillyat once rise and removethe pressure of the end of the plungerrod Q fromthe end of the stem Cf, thus admitting the float B to rise, carryingwith itthecarbid in 'the retiulated receptacled abpve'the wateruntil'gas is againconsumted, `when the opera-` tion will 'be againrepeated. .i

It should be understood ,thattheendof the `stem C does l not vin Vanymanner extend through the Valverand in .ordelto closesaid valve theupper end ofthejstem must b ebelow thevalve.

The construction of the valve is i?. .essential'to the successfulvoperationgoj' @capparatus, and, if desired, the usual rotaryplug valvemaybe used, theendof the stemin such a ca seextending through .the portin the valve-plug.

It is evident that many changes and modi- Iications may be made in the.several parts comprisingthe apparatus without in any manner affecting.the general principle upon .Which the same operates or theessentialieatures which combine to renderI the apparatus s uc cessful inits operation.

` Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire .to secure by,

Letters Patent, is e A gas-producing Yapparatus .comprising a IIOgenerator, a float, a recticulated receptacle .Within the flOa,Supported' normally but A.0f

contact with the waterin the generator, a Stem extending upwardlythroughthe'top `o fA the-generator, having arms whereby it is secured tothe.float, a lower `gas-.pipe section,

. secured .to thetopcf thcgenerator, through which 'the Stem extends, agaswalve sur.

mounting the lower gas-pipe section, and tact with the stem, and securedto and supsecured thereto, through which the stem norporting thereceiver thereon. Y

madly extends, an upper gas-pipe section sur- In testimony that I claimthe above I have mounting the valve and secured thereto, hereuntosubscribed my name in the presence 5 having an open upper end, agasolneter conof two Witnesses.

centric With the upper gas-pipe section and secured thereto, agas-receiver into which HARRY E' GIFFORD' the upper gas-pipe sectiondischarges up- Witnesses: Wardly, andaplunger-rod extending through E.G. PARSONS,

1o the upper gas-pipe section, normally in con- J Os. K. NYE.

